Kemosha of the Caribbean by Alex Wheatle

February 1st 2022

Alex Wheatle, author of the bestselling Cane Warriors, introduces us to his exciting new YA novel. Kemosha of the Caribbean is published this week and is a vivid swashbuckling adventure with a fierce LGBT black heroine.

With Kemosha, I wanted to create a compelling character to rival the literary heroes from my childhood that included Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island, Ivanhoe and Huckleberry Finn.  I hope to generate as much excitement and tension for readers as the above texts offered me. I wanted Kemosha to be as brave and fearless as any other heroic character in children’s/YA fiction.  She is headstrong and not without flaw, but I believe she is one of my most compelling and driven characters. Ravenhide is the mysterious barrel-maker who teachers Kemosha the art of swordplay.  She duels with men and fights for her very life.

I take the reader on an exhilarating journey that is thick with danger and jeopardy.  I lead the reader through the heat, the bush and landscape of Jamaica in the 17^th century.  I place them in the bars and inns of Port Royal, the wickedest city on earth and the central piracy hub in the world.  I take them on a voyage to the Spanish Main, Panama. My heroine gets to meet and work for Henry Morgan, the world-renown buccaneer who captained his ship The Satisfaction.

Will Kemosha survive the storm?  How will she react when she discovers the slaughter of innocents? Will she make it back from the Spanish Main?  Will she be able to rescue her younger brother, who still toils on a plantation in Jamaica?  Can she emerge victorious from her final battle?

If I can say so myself, Kemosha of the Caribbean is my most thrilling and exciting novel to date. She’s a modern hero, perfect for the 21^st century.  I’m proud of her like a parent.

Follow Alex Wheatle on Twitter @brixtonbard

Kemosha of the Carribean is out now.